Tent



W. E. MARSH Sept. 1, 1925.

TENT

Filed Aug. 4. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN uemor ZJ/Y/ard 5 Man Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

j UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 WILLARD E. mAnsnjor MEMrHI-s, TENNESSEE.

I frnu'r.

, Application filed August 4, 1923. g mbit. 655,602.

I Toallwhom z't may Be it known thatII, WILLARD E. MARSH, a citizen of the United States, residin at Memphis, county of Shelby, and the i tate of Tennessee, haveinv ented certain new and useful Improvements in Tents, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- .tion, such as will enable anyone skilled in the art to makeand use the same.' 1 .My inventionjrelates especially vto tents which maybe compactly folded for purposes A of transportation-and which. may be quickly and easily erected with a minimumof exertion and which when so erected will besecure. I

. Theobjectsof invention are,

First: To: provide a tent covering which simple and containiin themselves alltheeleis adapted to belaid out on the groundand when in such, collapsed condition,fplaced' beneaththetent covering and be raised to support the tent covering as a tent and which may be adjusted to tighten and stretchthe said tent covering and,

Thi d:: To provide means for securing the tent covering in place which means-willbe ments necessary therefor. i

,I accomplish these objectsas will be more fully hereinafter set out in the drawings,

1 specifications and claims.

In thedrawings: r

Fig. 1, is an end elevation of the 'tenterect ed as it appears with one flap partially open. Fig. 2, is an enlargedfdetail of one end of one of the framemembers'inlelevation,

with the tent covering brokenaway to show construction of, the same. 7

scale of the samedetail. p I I Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail, in elevation, of means at the bottom of the tent used in laying out the tent covering prior to erection thereof. 1 I

Fig. 5, is a plan view of one of the securr Zing bl ks on. the same la g Scale EhOW-i ing the block in position on the tent canvas,

but with the tion. h

Fig. 6, is a section on'the same scale through one'of these blocks showing a securing pin driven.

fFig. 7, is a side elevation of the frame in erected position, with the tent covering resecuring pins'in carrying posi- Fig. 8, is a plan view of the frame under the same COIldltlOIlS.

Flg. 9, 1s an enlarged section taken on the line IX-IX of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10, is an enlarged fragmentaryrsection taken on the line X-X of Fig. 8, (being the center line of the leg of the frame) to show a connection detail.

Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively enlarged front and side elevations on anenlarged scale of thejoint in the frame leg to show means for securing same when extended and for adjusting the length of the same.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the tent erected.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are shown by the same numerals in all the views; the tent comprises a covering of canvas or other similar material, having front sections 1v and 2,

sides 3, a roof section 4: 4t and gable ends 5. This covering is supported a frame comprising a central ridge pole, and two parallel. side supports preferably of canvas.

The ridge pole is made up of two pieces 6,

7' which are adapted to be supported at opposite sides by legs each made up of .two members 8, 9, adapted to be slidably collapsed or extended as the case may be. Parallel canvas or rope side supports 10 are secured to the ends of and are stretched bewhich in turn are each adapted to be attached' to (and detached from) and supported by one of the upper, members 8'of Fig. 3,is a plan view on the same enlarged the legs. One piece 6 of the ridge pole is attached to the upper end of one. of the leg side the member 8 of the leg to which it is attached. The other piece 7 of'the ridge pole, is similarly .ffififiened t0 the. upper member 8 ol the other leg, and similarly folds along the same. The two ridge pole pieces 6 and 7 are adapted to be connected together at their free ends to form a continnous ridge pole by means of a pin 14 which projects from the side of the piece 7 near the free end thereof which may be slipped into one of several holes 15 near the free end of the other piece 6. 16 is an L-shaped clip securely attached at the samefree end of the piece 7 which clip has a lug 17 adapted to engage a groove 18 in the top of .the corresponding end of. the piece 6, so that whenthe ridge pole pieces 6 and 7 are connected by means of the pin 14, and the clip 16, they form a ridge pole which resists the downward. pullyof the tent covering.

19 are U-shaped clips which are fastened in pairs to the upper end of the lower memher ear each of the ,legs by means 'of bolts or rivets 20. These pairs of clips are adapt- .ed to surround the corresponding upper leg member 8 and permit the same to slide freely longitudinally therethrough. The lower end of these upper leg. members is reduced in width and provided with pins 21 which are driven or screwed into the side or the member 9 opposite the reduced section with the heads projecting, the reduction in width being just surllicient to allow the heads of the pins to slip through the said clips 19, and

provide for collapsing theleg. lVhen eX- tended the heads of any one of these pins 21 may be hooked over the. top of the lower one ot these clips ltl to hold the leg extended.

may be displaced laterally. and the leg may be collapsed completely at which time the length ot the leg will be substantially equal to the length of one of the component members of the leg;

.The cross arms 12 are each attachable to one otthe upper leg members 8 by means of a pin 26 which is preferably part. of a U shaped bolt 23 having one short leg 24 which is preferably provided with a rivet head 25 which secures it in the said arm 12. The other leg of the U forms the pin 26 which projects beyond the inner face of the arm 12 and isadapted to be inserted in a- I hole 27 in the leg member 8. The canvas or tape side supports 10 are securely fastened to and are stretched between the outer ends of these arms 12 to complete the support for the roof of the tent.

The canvas tent covering is securely sewed to the side supports 16 along the line where the sides 3 merge into the roof 4; and the lower portion of the front 2 is fastened to "ated by the stitching 29 in Fig. 13, and the same is true of theback of the tent. On the other hand, the front section 1, is not attached to the gable end 5, nor is the similar back section so) attached nor are either of these sections attached to any portion of the tent leg. The part 1 of the front section 1 may therefore be turned back along the dashed line b for use as a door and the back of the tent is preferably so made. This door or flap 1' maybe secured-by means of hooks or buttons or by means of tie ropes 30. 1

' When erected the bottom edge ofthe tent all theway around, is turned out as shown in Fig. 6 and is securely fastened to the ground by means of a number of securing pieces or blocks '31, each of which blocks is securely nailed to the-edge of the tent in its predetern'iined location. Each of these blocks is provided with two oppositely inclinedholes 32 and is adapted to be secured to the ground by means of two steel spikes which spikes being driven through the inclined holes necessarily are driven at substantial angles to each other as disclosed in both Fig. 8 and Fig. 4'. In order that these steel spikes may be always in place ready for use, I provide each block with astrip of canvas 34 nailed over the top thereof to form a loop or. pocliet through which the spikes may be slipped for'carrying when not in use, as shown in Fig. If desired, these spikes may-additionally be secured by means of strings or flexible wires 35 which are tied around the nails just below the headsthereof, which strings are also securely attached to the block 31. The blocks 31 and 31* both front and back of the tent are fastened to the tent canvas vertically below theintersection of the roof and the sides 3 so that the line b around which the loose flap 1 bends, will be substantially a vertical line.

In Figs. landst, I show a cord or rope 36 extending from the block 31 to the block 31 This rope may be a continuous rope securely attached to each of these blocks by some such means as the staples 37 (Fig. 1) or one section may be provided with a ring 38 into which a snap 39 may be hooked, the ring 38 being secured in any desired manner to one of the blocks as 31* and the rope with the snap 39 on it being secured. to the other of the blocks 31 The purpose of this rope which as a matter of fact, may be a strap or a wire or any other erection.

flexible member, is to give the properdistance apart ofthe sides of the tent during To erect the tent, it is laid out on the ground and the blocks31 attached to either 'of the sidesjare securely nailed down to the ground by means of the spikes 33. The bottom of the opposite side is then pulled as far away as the limit rope 36 will allow and is similarly secured. One of the legs with one-half of the ridge pole-attached is then raised in a substantially vertical position, the pin 26 on the corre sponding arm 12 is slipped into the hole 27 provided therefor in. the leg and the leg is then extended until the head of one of thepins 21 can be brought into engagement with the top of the lower clip 19. The opposite leg is then extended, with the oppos'ite'arm 12 in place and the pin 14 in the piece 7 of the ridgepole is slipped into one of the holes 15 in the piece 6 of the ridge pole. The center, of the ridge pole thus formed, is pushed upward allowing the clip 16tos1ide past the piece 6 until it gets slightly above it when it ispushed over laterally andengaged in the groove 18, thus completing the first step in the erecting of the tent. If the tentas. thus erected is not sufficiently' taut, the ridge pole maybe extended by disengaging the clip 16 fromthe groove18 and moving the pin 14 to a hole 15 nearer the end of the piece 6 and then replacing the clip 16 in the groove 18. Also the legs may be raised by bringing additional pins'21 which are nearer the ends of the upper leg members 8, into engagement with the clip 19 thus lengthening the'legs. The bottom end of the legs should then be forced outward to substantially the position shown in Fig.7. That is, with the. bottom ends of the legs slightlyfurther apart than the top ends, and at the same time, the leg should be shifted into a vertical plane in the opposite direction. At this stage of that the top of the tent is stilldistorted and that the arms 12 will not have assumed ordinarily a horizontal position. These arms will then be'brought to ahorizontal position and it will be found that the tent will be in a truly symmetrical shape. The four clips 31. 31", two of which are in the front and two at the back of the tent are then tightly spiked down completing. the erection thereof and giving a secure and rigid structure.

The tent is now ready for occupancy and I if the flaps 1? have been diametrically placed,

the tent will be seen to have a door at the front and the back end, and susceptible of being divided by a curtain from the front legto the back leg into two equal portions each provided with an independent door. To close the tent the flaps 1 may either or both be secured for their entire height, or

erection, it will be found,

" a triangularflap be allowed to be turned back, Should it be so desired, all these fastenings may be left loose and the entire door flap be turned back. In either of these cases, it would of course be preferable to provide some form ofscreenclosure for the opening.

It will be noted that various minor changes not detailed may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that except as specifically hereinafter limited in the claims, it is not my intention to confine myself to the exact detail of contruction herein set out.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a tent, the combination with the coveringtherefor, of fastening means comprising blocks secured to the lower edges of the covering each having a plurality of holes therethrough at diverging angles and pins adapted to be driven through said holes 3. In a tent, the combination with the covering therefor, of fastening means comprising rectangular blocks secured to the lower edges of the covering with their greatest length parallel thereto, each having holes therethrough near each end thereof, and at diverging angles, and pins adapted to be driven through said holes and guided thereby.

4. A tent comprising a covering, a frame therefor, and means for securing the covering to the ground; the saidframe comprising two legs; two unitary cross arms attached at their ends to the said tent covering, one attachable to and detachable from each leg, near but below the top thereof; and a ridge pole in two sections, each section being hinged at one end to the top of a leg and having slidably adjustable means securing the opposite ends thereof against axial movement and downward flexure.-

5. A tent comprising a covering, a frame therefor, and means for securing the covering to the ground; the said frame comprising two legs; two unitary cross arms attached at their ends to the said tent covering, one attachable to and detachable from each leg, near but below the top thereof; and a ridge pole in two sections, each section being secured at one end to the top of a leg. and having slidably adjustable means thereof.

6. A tent, comprising a covering, a frame therefor, and means for securing the tent covering to theground; the said frame comprising two slidably collapsible legs, means for locking the legs in an extended position; two unitary cross arms attached at their ends to the said tent covering, one attachable to and detachable from each leg,

near but below the top thereof; and a ridge pole in two sections, each section being 10 lunged at one end to the top of a leg and my name.

YVILLARD E. MARSH. 

